Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 279

Mufti Taqi Usmani

But if you do not (give it up), then listen to the declaration of war from Allah and His Messenger. However, If you repent, yours is your principal. Neither wrong, nor be wronged.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

If you do not, then beware of a war with Allah and His Messenger! But if you repent, you may retain your principal—neither inflicting nor suffering harm.

Ruwwad Translation Center

But if you do not do it, then beware of a declaration of war from Allah and His Messenger. However, if you repent, you may retain your capital – neither harming nor suffering harm.

A. J. Arberry

But if you do not, then take notice that God shall war with you, and His Messenger; yet if you repent, you shall have your principal, unwronging and unwronged.

Abdul Haleem

If you do not, then be warned of war from God and His Messenger. You shall have your capital if you repent, and without suffering loss or causing others to suffer loss.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

But if ye will do it not, then be apprised of war from Allah and His apostle. And if ye repent, then yours shall be your capital sums; ye shall neither wrong nor be wronged.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

If ye do it not, Take notice of war from Allah and His Messenger; But if ye turn back, ye shall have your capital sums; Deal not unjustly, and ye shall not be dealt with unjustly.

Abul Ala Maududi

but if you do not do so, then you are warned of the declaration of war against you by Allah and His Messenger. If, however, you repent even now (and forego interest), you are entitled to your principal; do no wrong, and no wrong will be done to you.

Ahmed Ali

If you do not, beware of war on the part of God and His Apostle. But if you repent, you shall keep your principal. Oppress none and no one will oppress you.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And if you do not, then be certain of a war with Allah and His Noble Messenger; and if you repent, take back your principal amount; neither you cause harm to someone, nor you be harmed.

Ali Quli Qarai

And if you do not, then be informed of a war from Allah and His apostle. And if you repent, then you will have your principal, neither harming others, nor suffering harm.

Ali Ünal

If you do not (and you persist in taking interest, whether regarding it as lawful or not) be warned of war from God and His Messenger. If you sincerely repent (and give up all interest transactions completely), you will have your principal. Then you will neither be doing wrong nor being wronged.

Amatul Rahman Omar

But if you do (it) not, then beware of war from Allâh and His Messenger. But if you turn away (from such an unlawful transaction) then you shall have your principal (without interest) back. (Thus) you shall neither deal unjustly nor be dealt with unjustly.

English Literal

So if you do not make/do, so be announced to/informed with (of) a battle/war from God and His messenger, and if you repented , so for you (are) your properties/wealths/beginnings/(capital) (keep only your capital), you do not cause injustice/oppression (to others) and nor be caused injustice to/oppressed.

Faridul Haque

And if you do not, then be certain of a war with Allah and His Noble Messenger; and if you repent, take back your principal amount; neither you cause harm to someone, nor you be harmed.

Hamid S. Aziz

And if you will not do it, then hearken to the proclamation of war from Allah and His Apostle; but if you repent, your capital is your s. Wrong not, and you shall not be wronged.

Hilali & Khan

And if you do not do it, then take a notice of war from Allah and His Messenger but if you repent, you shall have your capital sums. Deal not unjustly (by asking more than your capital sums), and you shall not be dealt with unjustly (by receiving less than your capital sums).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

But if you do (it) not, then be apprised of war from Allah and His Messenger; and if you repent, then you shall have your capital. Wrong not, and you shall not be wronged.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

But if you do (it) not, then be apprised of war from Allah and His Apostle; and if you repent, then you shall have your capital; neither shall you make (the debtor) suffer loss, nor shall you be made to suffer loss.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And if ye do not, then be warned of war (against you) from Allah and His messenger. And if ye repent, then ye have your principal (without interest). Wrong not, and ye shall not be wronged.

Muhammad Sarwar

If you will not give up the unlawful interest which you demand, know that you are in the state of war with God and His Messenger. But if you repent, you will have your capital without being wronged or having done wrong to others.

Qaribullah & Darwish

but if you do not, then take notice of war from Allah and His Messenger. Yet, if you repent, you shall have the principal of your wealth. Neither will you harm nor will you be harmed.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And if you do not do it, then take a notice of war from Allah and His Messenger but if you repent, you shall have your capital sums. Deal not unjustly, and you shall not be dealt with unjustly.

Wahiduddin Khan

For, if you do not do so, then know that you are at war with God and His Messenger. But if you repent, you may retain your capital. Do not wrong [others] and you will not be wronged.

Talal Itani

If you do not, then take notice of a war by God and His Messenger. But if you repent, you may keep your capital, neither wronging, nor being wronged.

Tafsir jalalayn

But if you do not, do what you have been commanded, then be warned, have knowledge, of war from God, and His Messenger, against you; herein is a grave threat for them. When it was revealed, they said, `What power can we have in a war against Him!' Yet if you repent, and forgo it, you shall have your principal sums, the original amounts, not being unjust, by charging interest, and no injustice being done to you, by way of any diminution.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

فَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلُواْ فَأْذَنُواْ بِحَرْبٍ مِّنَ اللّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ

O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah and give up what remains (due to you) from Riba (from now onward), if you are (really) believers. And if you do not do it, then take a notice of war from Allah and His Messenger.

They said, "We repent to Allah and abandon whatever is left of our Riba", and they all abandoned it.

This Ayah serves as a stern threat to those who continue to deal in Riba after Allah revealed this warning.
Riba Constitutes War Against Allah and His Messenger

Ibn Jurayj said that Ibn Abbas said that,
فَأْذَنُواْ بِحَرْبٍ
(then take a notice of war) means,

"Be sure of a war from Allah and His Messenger."

He also said,

"On the Day of Resurrection, those who eat Riba will be told, `take up arms for war."'

He then recited,
فَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلُواْ فَأْذَنُواْ بِحَرْبٍ مِّنَ اللّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ
(And if you do not do it, then take a notice of war from Allah and His Messenger).

Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn Abbas said about,
فَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلُواْ فَأْذَنُواْ بِحَرْبٍ مِّنَ اللّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ
(And if you do not do it, then take a notice of war from Allah and His Messenger),

"Whoever kept dealing with Riba and did not refrain from it, then the Muslim Leader should require him to repent. If he still did not refrain from Riba, the Muslim Leader should cut off his head."

Allah then said,

وَإِن تُبْتُمْ فَلَكُمْ رُوُوسُ أَمْوَالِكُمْ لَا تَظْلِمُونَ

But if you repent, you shall have your capital sums. Deal not unjustly,

by taking the Riba,

وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ



And you shall not be dealt with unjustly.

meaning, your original capital will not diminish. Rather, you will receive only what you lent without increase or decrease.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Amr bin Al-Ahwas said,

"The Messenger of Allah gave a speech during the Farewell Hajj saying;

أَلَا إِنَّ كُلَّ رِبًا كَانَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ مَوْضُوعٌ عَنْكُمْ كُلُّهُ لَكُمْ رُوُوسُ أَمْوَالِكُم لَا تَظْلِمُونَ وَلَاتُظْلَمُونَ وَأَوَّلُ رِبًا مَوْضُوعٍ رِبَا الْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ عَبْدِالْمُطَّلِبِ مَوْضُوعٌ كُلُّه

Verily, every case of Riba from the Jahiliyyah is completely annulled. You will only take back your capital, without increase or decrease. The first Riba that I annul is the Riba of Al-Abbas bin Abdul-Muttalib, all of it is annulled.
Being Kind to Debtors Who Face Financial Difficulties

Allah said,

وَإِن كَانَ ذُو عُسْرَةٍ فَنَظِرَةٌ إِلَى مَيْسَرَةٍ وَأَن تَصَدَّقُواْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ